


redamancy

by axiciaaa



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Confessions, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Music, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 12:03:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11577699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axiciaaa/pseuds/axiciaaa
Summary: They both spent the night talking, eating their cakes and drinking their teas while the background music accompanying their hearty chats. Kei took notice of White Silence being played, a Japanese song he knew all too well. They talked about Kuroo’s trip and Kei’s birthday wishes and how unnecessary celebrating birthdays were to Kei, except for this moment, because he could feel his heartstrings being pulled as they talked the night away. Not that he was going to say that out loud. But they woke up late in the morning, cramped in that sofa too small for two insanely huge males with music still playing in the background.





	redamancy

 “Hey glasses-kun.”

Kei, in a crouching position with headphones over his delicate ears, looked up to the all-too familiar Nekoma captain who spoke in a hushed voice, his lips had curved into a usual smirk, cat-like and taunting. The blond furrowed his brow in annoyance, one: because of the unwelcome disturbance from his silence and second, because it had to be Kuroo. Kei shifted his position and settled for an Indian sit, legs aching ever so slightly.

“What do you want?”

“Stingy Tsukki. I just wanted to ask what music you’re listening to.” Tsukishima’s eyes glistened with unfeigned interest, although he was best hiding it behind his black-rimmed glasses, the evident bemusement was present in his eyes. Kuroo must have noticed it, looking at the way his smirk deepened. “Oh hoho? Did I spark your interest?”

“If you want to talk about my music taste then shut your trap. And don't call me Tsukki”

The captain chuckled and prompted himself down beside the blond, rummaging through his shorts’ pockets and fishing out earphones, white with gold earbuds attached to it. When Kei glanced at Kuroo’s look, all crappy grins and knowing eyes, the blond removed his headphones from his phone’s jack and deposited the earphone’s ones instead, snatching swiftly from Kuroo’s grasp.

They sat there in silence, a mellow song playing and indulging Kei’s ears. The blond looked at Kuroo, waiting for a response or some kind of emotion on his face. It took a little time before Kuroo returned his gaze, his face clenched into a frown, eyebrows snuggling together in what it seems like sadness. “What’s this song and who sung it?”

A sort of contentment had found its way to Kei’s face, settling for a half-smirk and smile. “Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap.”

The whole song was sung in English, though some words were familiar to the captain, most of it was blabber for Kuroo, but the layers of voices and slowness of the song just made his heart twitch in uncertain sadness.

“I don’t understand most of this but it makes me sad somehow.” Kuroo stared off to the distance, consuming the song’s ambience as it played away. “Like it just rips your heart even though I don’t know what Imojee’s saying.’

“It’s Imogen,” the blond corrected. “The translation’s pretty nice. You should look it up when you have the time.”

“I think I’ll do that.” Kuroo looked at Kei again, his frown had immediately turned into a soft, mellow smile. Unmistakably, Kei felt his heartbeat fasten with the way Kuroo looked like that – free of his shitty smirk and actually looking _angelic_. “This song is a masterpiece.”

Kei had looked away, making sure to control the blood that threatened itself to reach his cheeks. “Of course it is.”

* * *

Kuroo phoned Kei when the blond was on the Karasuno bus, making their way home during the lulled evening of a humid summer night. The blond dropped the call and sent a quick text to the captain, telling him to opt for texting instead because he was just too tired to talk.

A minute later, Kei’s phone had lighted up with Kuroo’s name on the screen.

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:30PM, Saturday]_ ** _: hey tsukki_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 6:30PM, Saturday]** : Ugh stop calling me that._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:30PM, Saturday:_ ** _hush glasses, hear me out_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 6:30PM, Saturday]:** Let me consider that._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:30PM, Saturday:_ ** _buuuuut really tho_

_I googled the jap translation for hide and seek_

_I AM FLOORED_

_made me sadder tbh_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 6:31PM, Saturday]:** That’s Imogen Heap for you._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:31PM, Saturday:]_ ** _she is a leGEND_

_i’m gonna play this at my wedding_

_no that’s not right this is a sad song_

_A SONG ABOUT LONGING MY HEART MY SOUL_

_maybe on my funeral_

_nope that’s also wrong_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 6:31PM, Saturday]:** Ha I’d like to see you play that at your wedding and see how much of an idiot you actually are._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:31PM, Saturday]:_ ** _so mean tsukki!_

_hahahahaha_

_but you’ll be there right?_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 6:31PM, Saturday]:** Where?_

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 6:31PM, Saturday]:_ ** _my wedding_

_:---)_

Kei didn’t reply – he was too flustered to move his fingers across the phone screen to type a message. He felt his face go hot, red invading the tiniest corners of his cheeks. Thank god Yamaguchi was fast asleep beside him. If the freckled-pinch server was awake, he would ask Kei about his tomato-like blush endlessly.

* * *

He replied before he went to sleep. Perhaps it was his exhaustion that made the blond skid his fingers away to write an ambiguous reply.

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 10:04PM, Saturday]:** Maybe_

* * *

Kei loved Music with a passion. It was his go-to when he doesn’t feel like conversing with people or hanging out with Yamaguchi on weekdays, not that he was a people’s person. He still had a social life to put effort into, just not as much effort as he puts into other things; like music – the blond learned how to play the violin since he was six, playing without the need for music sheets at age eight and mastering the vibrato in his adolescence. His parents told him he had a gift, his classmates were at awe, telling the blond he was gifted and awfully diligent. Kei thought he just loved music. The violin wasn’t the only instrument he was an exemplar at.

So when Kuroo had texted Kei late into the night on a Thursday evening requesting for ‘ _relaxing music because chemistry was being a bitch’_ The blond couldn’t refuse. Music was his forte, and he immediately found himself thinking about songs that would relax he himself when school-related problems took a toll on him.

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 11:34PM, Thursday]** : Search for ‘River Flows in You’. It’s a piano-solo by a Korean musician called Yiruma. Though I’m also fond of Lindsey Stirling’s arrangement since it’s played by violin and harp._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:35PM, Thursday]_ ** _: thank you T-T hope this one will ease my nerves im starting to detest this subject_

Kei set down his phone and returned to studying his Literature notes, highlighting important words with a pastel-colored highlighter that Hinata gave when he said he had an extra. Not long passed when he heard a ping from his phone. He finished the current page he was reading before grabbing his phone and seeing a reply from Kuroo.

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:51PM, Thursday]_ ** _: MAN THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED_

_LITERALLY CALMED ME THE FUCK DOWN_

_this is beautiful, tsukki, you have taste_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 11:51PM, Thursday]** : You’re not too convincing with the calming down part. _

_Naturally._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:51PM, Thursday]_ ** _: sorry sorry was just overwhelmed teehee_

_BUT THAT JUST HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD_

_or something like that_

_i think im gonna ditch my notes and go to bed my brain’s not functioning well_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 11:51PM, Thursday]** : Weak._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:52PM, Thursday]_ ** _: oh ho ho? Is tsukki giving me a challenge?_

_I’d love to take you on but im just fucking tired right now_

_maybe next time_

_i might fall asleep with your music playing it’s soothing_

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 11:52PM, Thursday]** : Hmm I’m not really indulging you on that note._

_It’s beautiful, isn’t it?_

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:52PM, Thursday]_ ** _: yep like you_

_YOUR**_

_i meant YOUR first suggestion – hide and seek_

_Fucking bokuto gave me a headlock_

_sorry bout that_

Kei’s heart skipped a beat, half-wishing that he meant the ‘you’ part and the other half being annoyed with the raven-haired man because he just made Kei’s heart flutter. It was brief but it lingered onto the blond much longer.

**_You_ ** _**[Sent 11:54PM, Thursday]** : Whatever._

_Tell Bokuto-san he’s a pain._

_And good night._

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 11:52PM, Thursday]_ ** _: good night tsukki~~~~_

* * *

“What,” Kei narrowed his eyes, a wave of disbelief had shrouded his features. It could be described as shock and his feet ceased to function. The man before him stood tall, although slightly shorter than him by a few centimeters, his broad shoulders stood proud against the black turtle neck that showcased his muscled build. It was one in the morning of September 27, when the breeze was cold enough to give you a frostbite if you stood outside for too long. The man shot Kei a toothy smile, a duffle bag on his right shoulder and a box of cake on his left hand. “The hell are you doing here?!”

Kuroo Tetsurou was at his front door at one in the morning on the 27th of September, the outside temperature so fucking cold it might possibly freeze you and said man was acting like he didn’t travel three hours straight, probably sleep-deprived and exhausted. Yet here he was, in all his glory smiling like the idiot he was.

“Aw Tsukki, is this that the proper way to greet a friend who came all the way from Tokyo to surprise you on your birthday?” Kei wanted to respond, wanted to scold him for being a stupid dork wasting money on something so trivial – like his birthday. He wanted to scowl and ask him to double-check if they were actually friends, wanted to close the door on him because the blond was just like that, aloof and all.

But he didn’t move, didn’t open his mouth to throw some kind of mean remark at the raven-haired man. He was actually _overwhelmed_ by the mellow affection the captain had given, and it scared him, because he could feel hot blood rushing to his face. Kuroo just grinned again, like that of Chesire’ cat’s. At first it was annoying, but his mouth had settled into a soft, gentle smile that was actually _endearing_.

“You… why are you…?” At a loss of words, Kei had averted his gaze to the floor.

“Just ‘cause one of my favorite people is celebrating his birthday. Plus, plus, plus!” Kuroo handed the box of cake to Kei, which Kei accepted with shaking fingers. The captain reached out to his duffle bag and retrieved an item wrapped in bubble wrap. “The strawberry cake’s not your main gift, this is.” He points his finger at the object at hand and smiled. “That is, if you let me in.”

He does. He steps aside to let the man saunter inside his house. _Imagine mom’s reaction in the morning._ Kei gestures at the couch for Kuroo to sit down and settle, which Kuroo gratefully took. Kei then retreated to the kitchen to get two small platters and forks, up above on a dainty cupboard, boiling water to make tea in the process. Kei made Deejarling, which he knew (expertly, at that) paired well with Strawberry Shortcake. The blond returns to the living room, where he found his visitor sitting comfortably on the couch. Kuroo looked up at Kei, the corners of his mouth tugged into a weak smile. Kei finally noticed the prominent bags under the captain’s eyes. He also noticed the laptop neatly placed on the coffee table, speakers attached to it.

It is one in the morning. Go figure.

He also noticed the laptop gingerly placed on the coffee table, speakers attached to it. “C’mere” Kuroo said gingerly, looking up at the blond with fondness. Kei was doing his best not to break apart. He obliges, though, setting down the teacups, platters and forks beside the laptop, far enough so it won’t actually touch the gadget.

“I’m assuming you’re an avid fan of music with the way you look at me when you talk about music.” Kei’s heart skipped a beat. “So I decided to be extra on your birthday and prepared this.” Kuroo pointed at the bubble wrapped item he presented at the door. The captain handed the item to Kei, which Kei studied in his hands and slowly tore of the bubble wrap, revealing a CD case.

The case wasn’t anything pretty, the front was only marked with Kuroo’s handwriting – neither messy nor remarkable – in dark ink, the smell of pentel still lingering against the plastic of the case. _27/09/14_. The blond opened it, revealing the CD itself, again, not anything overly designed, it was just a plain CD.

Kei gulped as he slowly deposited the CD into the disk drive of Kuroo’s laptop. Kuroo was slowly tapping against his own fingers, his chin rested on his hands. He stole a quick glance at Kei who was focused on the loading material on his laptop.

Finally, the CD had been read and Kei had to squint his eyes to double check if he was reading the song name correctly. There were nine tracks in total, a combination of musicians foreign to Kei and some, he knew. Kodaline, A Great Big World and Ling Tosite Sigure were the few ones he recognized. He clicked the first track on the screen, a song by Ingird Michaelson called “The Way I Am.” Kei teared his gaze away from the laptop screen and looked at Kuroo, who was giving him a toothy smile and soft eyes.

“I’m supposed to snap at you right now.”

Kuroo chuckled at Kei’s comment. “I figured. But I think you’re enjoying this as much as I do.”

“This is….” Kei had looked away and found himself blushing, unable to control the relief and gratefulness washing over him. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

They both spent the night talking, eating their cakes and drinking their teas while the background music accompanying their hearty chats. Kei took notice of White Silence being played, a Japanese song he knew all too well. They talked about Kuroo’s trip and Kei’s birthday wishes and how _unnecessary_ celebrating birthdays were to Kei, except for this moment, because he could feel his heartstrings being pulled as they talked the night away. Not that he was going to say that out loud. But they woke up late in the morning, cramped in that sofa too small for two insanely huge males with music still playing in the background.

(And Kei’s mom surprised but equally happy that his son just had an impromptu sleepover with someone other than Tadashi.)

* * *

For the following weeks, Yamaguchi took notice of the playlist Kei played repeatedly every time he puts his headphones on. He swore he could hear the blond singing a familiar tune from some foreign singer. _Kei never sings._

The freckled-man took the chance of stealing small glances at the blond’s phone, trying to find out what kind of hullabaloo was keeping the middle blocker in a sing-song mood.

_Kodaline…. Ingrid Michaelson…. Galileo Galiliee….. Hmm…._

* * *

Kuroo was already in college for about four months when he first learned that Kei could play the violin, exemplary well at that. He confronted Kei through one of their phone calls with the new knowledge at hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you played the violin, I quote Bokuto, so damn amazing that I actually cried in the midst of it?!”

“You didn’t ask.” Kei could practically see the pout on Kuroo’s lips.

“Then why did Bokuto know first?”

“Hmm.” It was also new knowledge that Bokuto knew he could play the instrument. “Maybe Akaashi-san told him.”

“Akaashi knows too?!”

“Yeah, we play sometimes when he visits his aunt here in Miyagi.” Kei was pertaining to the beautiful setter’s talent in playing the piano exceptionally well, which of course, Kuroo knew.

“What the hell, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Hmm, why, indeed.”

Kuroo groaned out in frustration for the nth time that day and it made the blond snicker in response. Kuroo cleared his throat before speaking again. “Would you play for me if I asked you to?”

“Only if you ask nicely.” Kei chuckled maliciously.

“Oh you like me begging, don’t you? Would you please play your violin for me, pretty please Tsukishima Kei?”

The sudden use of Kei’s full name caught the blond by surprise. Kuroo speaking his full name felt foreign, he was always hearing the black-haired man calling him ‘Tsukki.’

“Nah.” Kei deadpanned, hearing another frustrated sound on the other end of the line.

“You throw me off, you know that?”

“To some extent, yes.”

“Yeah, fine, you win this round.” Kuroo lets out one final sigh and regained his cheery voice. “What’s today’s song, Mr. I-want-people-to-beg-for-my-violin-expertise?”

“Rude. Downright rude, Kuroo-san.” Kei’s words were deep but meant no harm and Kuroo only laughed lightly in response. “Elephants by Rachael Yamagata. It’s a lovely slow song.”

* * *

Kei started looking up violin pieces on the net by time he got from volleyball practice on a Tuesday evening. He googled several arrangements for familiar songs, contemplating if he should play a piece with lots of crescendos to showcase his ability in controlling his vibrato. _Like he knows what a vibrato is, or a crescendo._

He abruptly stopped when he realized, setting his phone down, realized that he was stressing over Kuroo’s shallow request of playing the instrument. He blushed at the thought, heavily embarrassed by his own forward approach. The blond laid his back on the bed, phone already discarded on the sheets. He was flustered by his own advances, knowing damn well that if Kuroo had known about this, he would never hear the end of his teasing.

_Or be endeared by it._

The blond’s eyes shot up wide at the thought, his already pink cheeks turning a bright crimson. No way. _No fucking way._ Kei tried to suppress the sudden butterflies that invaded at the pit of his stomach, failing ultimately as he felt the rumbles in it, heart beating hard against his ribs. He did not, _heaven forbid_ , have feelings for the shitty scheming ex-captain.

He muttered obscenities to himself, cursing Kuroo and himself and the goddamn butterflies.

Still, he printed out dozens of music sheets a week later.

* * *

He was not one for emotions – Kei, that is. He didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary things like feelings and love-shit and anything related to being rejected and falling into a pit of despair without coming out for the next ten years _. Ha ha ha, funny one, self_ – Kei thought to himself.

Kidding aside, the blond wanted nothing to do with the butterflies in his stomach and the redness of his cheeks when Kuroo would call him frequently to talk about anything under the sun. He wanted to get rid of the beating of his heart and ragged breathing whenever the black-haired man would send just-woke-up-selfies or random photos of cats. Kei decided to keep these feelings to himself, not thinking twice on telling his best friend for the simple thought that having those feelings was downright ridiculous.

Though that façade was shattered by a single phone call.

“Tsukkiiiiiiiiiii~”

“You’re being annoying again, Kuroo-san.” Kei tried to mask his voice with vexation but in truth, he was enjoying the other man’s company very much, even though they were separated by a great distance.

“The pleasure’s mine.” A snicker was heard from the other line and Kei tried to ignore it. A silence had settled upon them before the black-haired man spoke again. “Hey Tsukki, let’s play a game.”

“You have a lot of time, don’t you?”

“Nope, not really. I’m on a break though and I’d rather talk to you than wallow miserably knowing I have volleyball training tomorrow even though it’s a Sunday.”

“But you love volleyball.”

“Indeed, I do, Tsukki, but I’d rather sleep in tomorrow.” Kuroo sighed at the mere notion of a Sunday practice, though Kei was right – he loved volleyball. “Anyway, play my game Tsukki. It’d be fun.

 _I’m already a fool of your game, you bastard._ Kei thought. “What shenanigan are you up to now?”

“Aw, Tsukki don’t call it a shenanigan!” Kuroo chimed, his voice beaming. “Anyway, it’s just a song game. I’ll give you a question like “What’s the slowest song you heard blah blah, then you answer it with a song blah blah you get the gist of it.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes, and we go back and forth so I’ll start! What’s the weirdest song you have ever heard?”

Kei’s mouth was pressed into a thin line before answering. “It’s a song called Lemonade by Sophie. It’s annoyingly catchy, and, well, weird.”

“Mhmm, okay you ask a question.”

Kei smirked to himself as he prepped an inquiry, making sure to embarrass the other while he had the chance. “What song turns you on?”

“What the hell, Tsukki?”

“I’m being resourceful~” Kei chimed as his smirk grew wider.

“Well unlucky you ‘cause I’m just gonna opt for a real sex song. Push and Shove by No Doubt. Title says it all, Tsukki. What’s one song that makes you cry – or in your case – sweat through your eyes?”

 “Ugh” Kei groaned out. “I never heard a song that made me cry.”

“Heartless Tsukishima Kei indeed.”

“Fuck you.”

Kuroo laughed audibly and it sounded like music to Tsukki. Oh god, _the irony._ “Okay, just a song that feels sad?”

“Over you by Ingrid Michaelson and A Great Big World.”

“Aaaaaaaand there it is. Tsukishima Kei admitting he actually feels sadness.”

“Oh my g-“

“I’m kidding, poppet. My bad, my bad.” A chuckled came out from Kuroo’s mouth.

 _Did he just call me poppet?_ Kei was working himself over, his cheeks flushing pink at the nickname. “Ugh, you are so….”

“Charming? I know.”

Kei was five seconds away from dropping the call when he heard Kuroo sigh out. It wasn’t a frustrated sigh that he kept repeating the whole phone call. It was a contented and relaxed sigh, as if he had just gotten out of a practice knowing he did good on blocking the college team’s ace. It made Kei jump.

“Hey Tsukki?” The black-haired said in a mellow voice, his words full of endearment and Kei swore, his pulse was fastening.

“Yeah?”

“Let me ask one more question.”

“But it’s my turn.”

Kuroo chuckled softly. “Yeah, let me in this one. But I want you to text me your answer because I’m pretty sure I could hear Bo entering the apartment.”

A beat. “Okay.”

“Tell me one song that reminds you of me and I’ll send you mine, too.”

Kei felt his heart beating hard again, fast against his ribs. He had a million songs that would best remind him of the raven-haired man: from dulcet songs from M83 to the Nyan Cat theme song. He was racking up his brain to find a perfect song that wouldn’t be too revealing, nor pretentious nor emotionless. He hadn’t realized that the call was already dropped until he heard the static line over the phone.

He held his phone in his hands as if it was a time bomb about to explode. He held it with clammy hands, pulse still fast and definitely not helping. He didn’t register what he was typing and just let his fingers move freely, typing words he wasn’t supposed to.

But he did anyway.

Kei narrowed his eyes to look at the text, just a press of a button before making its way into Kuroo’s inbox. He read it over and over again, knowing damn well it was a perfect song to match his longing.

**_You_ ** _**[Draft, Saturday]** : Need you now – Lady Antebellum _

He pressed ‘send’ without even thinking properly. When he finally realized that he had sent Kuroo one of the most desperate songs he knew, he immediately regretted it with eyes wide open.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

Before five seconds could even pass, he already received a message from Kuroo.

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 8:59PM, Saturday]_ ** _: swim good by frank ocean because you’re salty like the ocean :P_

At the message, Kei’s heart sank. _I knew it._ His regrets had doubled as he registered that there was no way that Kuroo liked him back. Kuroo was tall, charming and attractive and Kei was a snarky whiny shithead who was only talented in teasing his _ugh_ friends. _Who would want someone like that?_

Kei mentally slapped himself at his own advance, scolding himself by how careless and clueless he was. It was ridiculous, pitiable, absurd, stu-

**_From Kuroo-san [Sent 9:01PM, Saturday]_ ** _: wait tsukki_

_Oh my god_

_tsukki, fuck, we need to talk_

_tsukki reply back pls_

_answer my calls I beg you_

_fuck_

Kei turned off his phone to block out the pings it emanated. He was done for and wanted to literally punch himself until his passed out. But he stared at the ceiling and repeated to himself, over and over, _you are such a hopeless idiot, you are such a hopeless idiot, you are such a hopel-_

Well, that was that.

 

**Author's Note:**

> a two part story woooooooooooo  
> it's not the end of it there'll be more sap and angst and music ;'-)
> 
> also can someone teach me how to bold words on a summary thank u
> 
> instagram: @axiciaart


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